ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some deep and recalcitrant problems with the use of evidence in our orthodox model of experimental science; specifically, how does an observation provide evidence to support a hypothesis? Dr. Louis Goodman’s observation that projectability is a result of contingent historic choices entails consequences that are relevant to the use of evidence in medicine. To see how a careful examination of evidence can affect the way we practice medicine, let’s look at the debate surrounding Evidence-Based Medicine. Researchers attempt the best that they can to control for any factors that could explain away the statistical significance of experimental results without attributing any therapeutic benefits of a treatment. Regardless of whether divine interventions are physical or causal relations, medicine and science at large would surely be interested in learning more about the interaction. Scientists are social beings affected by psychological biases, communal pressures, and financial incentives.
